Senior RSS leader and former All India Seva Pramukh K Suryanarayan Rao passed away in Bengaluru following age-related illness. Popularly known as ‘Suruji’, 93-year-old Suryanarayan Rao, died late last night in Bengaluru and was cremated this evening. He was suffering from age-related illness for the last few weeks and was admitted in Sagar Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru where he breathed his last.

Watch what else is making news:

He worked for the growth of the Sangh in Tamil Nadu. He was one of the senior-most pracharaks of RSS, serving since the last 70 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid rich tributes to the RSS leader who, he said, devoted his entire to serve his motherland.

“Senior RSS Pracharak Shri K Suryanarayana Rao devoted his life to serving our Motherland. Saddened by his demise. May his soul rest in peace,” he tweeted. He had joined as a Swayamsevak of RSS in 1942 at Bengaluru.

After completing BSc (Hons) in Mathematics he became a full-time Pracharak of RSS in 1946 and toured across Karnataka with various responsibilities. Rao served at various positions in RSS and was known for his contributions as Akhil Bharatiya Seva Pramukh of RSS for a long time.

He was entrusted with the responsibility of organising the first Karnataka State Vishwa Hindu Parishad at Udipi in December 1969 by then RSS chief Guruji, where the historical resolution banishing the practice of untouchability was passed unanimously by all the Dharmachryas of Sampradayas.

He was made Pracharak of Tamil Nadu from 1971 to 1984 and then a regional Pracharak, comprising AP, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka upto 1990. Subsequently, he was assigned the responsibility as Akhila Bharathiya Seva Pramukh. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, his deputy Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi and other senior functionaries have condoled his demise.